Celebrating Women’s History Month: The Life and Contributions of Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark  

Written by Tieranni Parquet (Black Student Association)

This Women’s History Month, we honor the women who have paved the way. The women who are historical groundbreakers and have laid the foundation for us to take up space. The women who gave us the permission to be ourselves, unapologetically. As we highlight these trailblazers, I hope that you find the courage to awaken the trailblazer inside of you.

Historically, women were not given the same opportunities as men. Women were told to follow the societal rule of “women are to be seen and not heard.” However, Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark challenged that rule and boldly left her mark on history. Dr. Phipps Clark “was one of the first female African American psychologists of her time” (Lal, 2002, p.20). She would go on to contribute a wealth of groundbreaking research that would shape the United States’ social and political history.

Here’s a glimpse of the journey Dr. Phipps Clark embarked on. She began her educational journey at Howard University at the age of 16 with the goal of becoming a math teacher. However, she faced discrimination, as she was not allowed to enter the field of math because of her gender. Despite the pushback, Mamie Clark did not give up on her dream of earning a degree. In life, obstacles have the power to push us towards our actual purpose and destiny. What they meant for harm, pushed her into her into her God given calling of becoming a psychologist. Dr. Phipps Clark would go on to receive her master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology.

Dr. Phipps Clark’s interests in racial identification and self-concept were sparked by the impact that racial restrictions had on her own life. She studied the processes of how and when children understood racial and ethnic differences. Her master’s thesis was titled “The Development of Consciousness of Self in Negro Preschool Children” (Lal, 2002, p.22). Her interests in social psychology and children’s development began to grow as her work and scholarly attributes surrounded these areas. In the late 1940s, she and her husband opened The Northside Center for Child Development. This became a passion of hers, and through her work, she found that “minority children were being excluded from health and education services by New York’s social services” (Lal, 2002, p. 24). Dr. Clark wanted to provide a place for children of color to have access to adequate mental health and educational opportunities. The center addressed the holistic needs of the minority community.

Not only did she change the landscape of educational and social services in New York, her research helped dismantle segregated education in the entire United States. In 1954, her groundbreaking research became the first social science research used in Supreme Court cases. Her findings led to the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education that “segregation of public schools by race was illegal” (McKay, 2010). Due to the revolutionary courage and passion of Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark, I am able to live out my wildest dream and pursue my doctoral degree in Psychology. Thank you, Dr. Phipps Clark!

References

Lal, S. (2002). Giving children security: Mamie Phipps Clark and the racialization of child psychology. American Psychologist, 57(1), 20-28.

MacKay, J. (2010). Profile of Mamie Phipps Clark. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology’s Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from https://feministvoices.com/profiles/mamie-phipps-clark

About the Author

Tieranni-Parquet-MHS-LPC

Tieranni Parquet, MHS, LPC, is a Media Psychology doctoral student at Fielding Graduate University. She graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She obtained her MHS in Counseling from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Shortly after, she became a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana.

Currently she is the Clinical Director of a nonprofit in New Orleans. Her passion lies in removing the stigma and criminalization for individuals seeking substance use and mental health services. As a Media Psychology student, her research interest focuses on the transformative power that media has when representations are accurately depicted. Her ultimate goal in life and in the clinical world is to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.